There was a time when survival games were all about zombies and first-person gameplay. People got bored of it and the survival genre gained a bit of a bad reputation.
Along came V Rising, a survival game not like many others. A game where you play as a Vampire and have to build, feed and thrive in a large open world full of danger and opportunity. Whether on your own or with a group there is ample content to sink your teeth into. Things are off to a fantastic start for this gothic game after racking up an impressive 1 million copies sold in the first few weeks. But is it worth your time?
A worthy contender
There are some obvious comparisons to be drawn between V Rising and Valheim. They both are about building a base, surviving, and hunting down bosses. Additionally, they’re both indie games created by small teams that have had a very promising initial launch.
That being said, V Rising is a worthy contender with solid foundations for a survival game. Fans of the genre and of Valheim should definitely take a look.
I’m going to be honest, I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of what the game has to offer. However, exploring the world and building my humble castle (currently on a private server) has been great fun.
I could have joined a public server and either played with others in a PVE setting. Or, if you fancy your chances you can go for PVP server as well. Whichever you decide upon you will still find a casket full of PVE content to delve into.
You start by establishing your first base. From here you will gain access to structures to build such as workbenches, and research tables. The typical things you might expect to see in a game such as this. From that point on, it’s all about upgrading to a bigger and better base whilst hunting down bosses dotted around the map. Upgrading your gear and finding better loot.
During the daytime you will have to stick to the shadows as staying in the sunlight will cause you damage. However, come the night time you will thrive and hunt. That being said, you can still fairly easily skulk around during the day as the trees and various valleys, and ruined buildings provide enough cover to get about.
Fill your boots
As with most survival games, there is a lot of resources to gather and it will take a fair amount of too-ing and fro-ing to get enough wood, stone, copper etc… to build a good base. Obviously, if you play with others the grind will be reduced. Therefore, be prepared to grind more and find it tougher if you’re a solo player. You’re going to be doing a lot of chopping and mining.
That doesn’t mean that solo play isn’t viable. But I would advise not going on a PVP server if there are larger groups as you might find yourself unable to compete.
The world map is broken down into various areas – many of which I’m still yet to explore. Each area offers new places to explore. More importantly, it offers more loot! Let’s be honest, that’s what we want right. Cool loot and to unlock cool new abilities.
As I’ve mentioned I still have so much more to see from this game. But with a handful or so hours under my belt, I am really enjoying it. However, there’s one area that I’m really interested to see and explore and that’s the competitive side.
Challenge your friends?
Project Zomboid is a game I’ve played a bit here and there. It’s also a game I enjoy watching content creators play. That’s because I’ve seen quite a few groups set up their own scenarios where they may have two teams that compete with each other across the map for dominance. Or they compete towards a common goal. I think that V Rising could offer the same kind of fun challenges between your friend groups or a community you might be part of. Creating your own custom rules for a server such as racing toward a loot goal or something could be really good fun.
Basically, what I like about V Rising is that it’s not only an already fun game to play on your own or with others. But it also opens up opportunities for people to use their imagination. To create their own game. Games that can provide you with an interesting sandbox for people to mess around with always have a lot of potentials. That’s what I see with V Rising. There is so much potential for the game. The modding community is already starting to pick up and I can’t wait to see where it will go.
The perfect start
My first foray into the world of V Rising has been a very promising one. Additionally, the early success of the game is great so see. The future for the game certainly looks bright and I will be along for the ride!
-Will
